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Baker, Polito out to finish the job

By Chris Lisinski, clisinski@lowellsun.com

Updated:
10/12/2018 12:05:07 PM EDT

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito speak with editors of The Sun in Lowell on Thursday. SUN/CHRIS LISINSKI

LOWELL -- Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito on Thursday described their re-election campaign as an effort to finish what they started and follow through on efforts to boost economic activity, improve the state's public transit and invest in workforce development.

The Republican incumbents met with editors of The Sun for an hourlong interview on Thursday, answering questions on topics ranging from affordable housing to the budget to overtime-pay scandals at the Massachusetts State Police.

In their first debate earlier this week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez tried to portray Baker as a "status quo" leader. During his Thursday interview, though, Baker and Polito cited several areas in which they felt the administration succeeded. They said state spending on substance-abuse treatment increased 70 percent since they took office and that the administration invested significant money --including $865 million for repair backlogs -- in the MBTA, a transit system notorious for its aging infrastructure.

"If you want to grow the ridership, you have to prove you can provide a reliable and dependable product," Baker said. "You deliver a reliable, predictable, dependable service, you get more riders, and you get more riders, you get more revenue."

A day after WBUR reported that an official with the state police department -- where nine different current or former employees face charges of collecting money for fraudulent overtime shifts -- requested permission to destroy payroll records earlier this year, Baker said he stands by the work of State Police Col.

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Kerry Gilpin. He touted reforms that have been made, such as new policies requiring troopers to check in with superiors in person at the start of shifts and use GPS monitoring in cruisers.

"The colonel sent 46 sets of records to the U.S. Attorney (for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling) and Attorney General (Maura Healey) for potential prosecution," Baker said. "That's a pretty big statement by the leader of the state police that she was more than willing and able to put facts in front of prosecutors about allegations on what's gone on here."

The governor said he believes most of the state police issues came from Troop E, a branch that was shuttered as the controversy unfolded. He described the alleged practices in that troop as "a terrible stain on the department."

In other topics:

n Housing shortages across the state remain a major issue, substantial enough that, according to Baker, Amazon executives described it as their biggest concern when considering whether to choose a Massachusetts community as the home to the company's second headquarters.

The governor attributed the problem to a lack of focus on housing opportunities, saying that the number of new units available per year has been insufficient for decades. Whatever housing is available, he said, "gets priced out the second it goes on the market."

Baker and Polito said the housing choice bill they filed, which allows participating towns to receive state money for development and requires only a simple majority vote from municipal bodies to approve new housing projects rather than the 65 percent support typically required, is part of the solution.

"We're having more productive conversations with community officials around using housing as an economic development tool," Polito said. "If you want to redo your downtown or your Main Street, think about the kinds of housing that would be attractive in your community to professionals and adults that can move out of a single-family home and free that up."

n The governor and lieutenant governor weighed in again on the three ballot questions Massachusetts voters will consider.

They do not support Question 1, which would set a minimum nurse-to-patient ratio. Baker announced his opposition on Wednesday after viewing last week's report by the Health Policy Commission, which indicated the proposal could cost an additional $700 million to $900 million.

Baker and Polito support Question 2, which seeks to create a citizen commission to examine the role of money in politics, and Question 3, which, if approved, would uphold the state's law protecting transgender individuals from discrimination in public accommodations.

"We signed the law," Baker said. "There's no evidence to suggest we should vote no."

n Baker and Polito said they are committed to improving the state's education system, stressing that they believe vocational and alternative schools are a key component to doing so.

"We need to continue to make the investments there that are working," Polito said. "I wouldn't want to see a different administration back off on commitments to education and workforce development."

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